It is well known that onium compounds, particularly quaternary ammonium compounds such as quaternary ammonium salts, have found widespread use in a number of applications including, but not necessarily limited to, disinfectants, cleansers and sterilizers, cosmetics (deodorants, dandruff removers, emulsion stabilizers), fungicides, mildew preventatives, antistatic additives, biocides, gas hydrate inhibitors, to increase the affinity of dyes for photographic film, to improve dispersibility in the coatings of pigment particles, to increase adhesion of road dressings and paints, etc. Because onium compounds function as biocides whether or not this is their originally intended purpose, the residual onium compounds when discharged into waste water streams after use will interfere in the biological treatment processes by inhibiting the growth of biomass. Additionally, in situations such as discharging used water directly into the environment, such as into seawater, the discharge of water containing onium compounds may be restricted due to regulations pertaining to the toxicity of such water to marine organisms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,954 concerns the detoxification of residues of quaternary ammonium salt biocides in water using neutralizing amounts of certain anionic monomers.
There remains a need for new compositions for detoxifying aqueous solutions containing onium compounds prior to discharge or wastewater treatment with biomass.